Trusted
Specialists

Scope of work
MW provided full logistics coordination and art handling services for the packing and crate manufacture were required and the transport of this unique project. We used our Dublin and Shannon warehouses to consolidate the artworks and then delivered on site to EVA to accommodate their installation schedule. Artworks came in from Colombia, Australia, USA, Iran and Egypt as well as mainland Europe including Paris, Berlin, Croatia, Madrid, Austria, UK and Ireland. Organising temporary import formalities with Irish customs for the incoming exhibition and looking forward to doing the same on the return. Liaising with all the stakeholders from planning to delivery ensuring that all exhibits came in on time, on budget and in perfect condition.

Description of Biennial
EVA International – Ireland’s Biennial of contemporary art presents the 38th EVA International, featuring historical, recent and commissioned works by 56 artists in exhibitions across five venues in Limerick city and an extended programme at Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.

The 38th EVA International takes its starting point from the painting Night’s Candles are Burnt Out (1927) by Irish artist Seán Keating. The painting presents an allegory of the Irish psyche at the time of the construction of Ardnacrusha, a hydroelectric dam built that same year on the border of County Limerick. Ardnacrusha, constructed in the early twentieth century, accelerated the national economy and radically shifted the society of the new Irish state. Keating’s social realist painting depicts a host of characters set against the backdrop of the construction site of the dam, whose lives are set to change by the dawning of a new era of technological progress.

Alongside Keating’s paintings of Ardnacrusha, the biennial includes works by artists from across geographies, generations, and media, addressing narratives of modernisation (in which electrification played a crucial role) and metaphors of power. Rather than a monolithic thematic exhibition, this edition of EVA International proposes itself as a kaleidoscope of essayistic, retinal and bodily narratives of artistic presentation.

The 38th EVA International has no title, breaking with a tradition that dates back to 1990. This decision, taken by curator Inti Guerrero, is designed to emphasize the word ‘international’ that is central to EVA’s identity. Guerrero explains: “In our current state of nationalisms, hard-borders, protectionism and a complete change of course in humanity, where the liberal belief of a ‘never again’ seems to be dismantling, the word ‘international’ suddenly carries an important weight worth embracing. Since its foundation in 1977 in Limerick, EVA has been a forerunner in understanding the world through art in a transnational, transcultural, international dialogue, presenting its contradictions, anxieties and possibilities.”

Participating artists
Peju Alatise, Malala Andrialavidrazana, Alexander Apóstol, Artists’ Campaign to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, Jaime Ávila, Akiq AW, Patricia Belli, Colin Booth, Lee Bul, José Castrellón, Viriya Chotpanyavisut, Steven Cohen, Bruce Conner, Juan Dávila, Patrizio di Massimo, Roy Dib, Rita Duffy, Adrian Duncan and Feargal Ward, John Duncan, Juan Pablo Echeverri, Inji Efflatoun, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, John Gerrard, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Laurent Grasso, Eileen Gray, Claire Halpin, Sanja Iveković, Uchechukwu James-Iroha, Mainie Jellett, Seán Keating, Sam Keogh, Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien, Napoles Marty, Francis Matthews, Julie Merriman, Kevin Mooney, Locky Morris, Isabel Nolan, Masahito Ono, David Pérez Karmadavis, John Rainey, Dan Rees, Marlon T. Riggs, Sutthirat Supaparinya, Beto Shwafaty, Mina Talaee, Jenna Tas, Darn Thorn, Top Lista Nadrealista, Nicolás Vizcaíno Sánchez, Ian Wieczorek, Liu Xiaodong, Trevor Yeung.

Testimonial

“As an arts organisation with an international focus, it’s crucial that we aim to work to the highest standards across all stages of our operation and production. Working with Maurice Ward ensures that we achieve that in terms of art handling and transport logistics. They are always professional and responsive, while also being lateral minded to suit different budget options. Perhaps most importantly, they understand art and are sensitive to its particular needs. I don’t hesitate in recommending Maurice Ward to other arts organisations in Ireland and internationally.”

Matt Packer
Director EVA